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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

JUGGLING MORE THAN ONE PROJECT by James Mihaley

Working on two
books at the same time can be dangerous and exhilarating.Obviously the peril lies in diluting
your creative energy and by doing so, neither novel may ever be completed.However, it is not uncommon for a
synergy to form between two projects swirling around in one author’s brain that
can enhance both stories.Sometimes the best thing you can to a book, particularly when you’re
stuck, is to put it down and let it breathe.A beautiful way to distance yourself from a project is to
start working on another one.It’s
like a farmer rotating crops.A
farmer will plant corn one season and soybeans the next because the soybeans
put nutrients back into the soil that the corn has taken out.When you come back to your original
story you may find yourself rejuvenated.You may perceive with crystal clarity what the problem is, what you need
to revise.Give it a shot!

If you’re having
trouble with your novel or feel that you need to take a break, consider the
possibility of devoting a week or two to a new story, something that has
hopefully been incubating inside your imagination for a while and is ready to
come out.Then you’ll have two
projects, a book in its early stages and one that is closer to completion.The one that’s almost finished is always
your main focus.Most of your
creative energy is flowing in that direction.However, on those days when you’re not feeling it, pick up
your other book and some fun!

Argh! I was on a plane and was working on the screenplay for BK 2 and the MS for BK 3. I wrote about twenty pages of the book...in script form! I had to go back and basically rewrite the whole thing. Oops. It is scary when someone from one story sneaks into another behind your back. You have the chase them back to their own! (Marissa does this on purpose and it is fabulous...but that's a different story!)

DISCLAIMER

The authors of Project Mayhem do their best to provide accurate, witty, and sometimes manic information pertaining to all things middle grade. Any resemblance to anybody else's manic, witty, and accurate information is purely serendipitous. However, the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the other writers on this blog. Except, we all agree that reading Project Mayhem will brighten your day. Drop by mic.